Handle for produce container

ABSTRACT

A carrier handle for the container of the type shown in U. S. Pat. Re. No. 26,386, and which comprise opposite end walls, each of which has two spaced panels connected by a narrow top wall, a centrally located aperture in each top wall, and a centrally located aperture in the bottom, in vertical alignment with the aperture in the top wall. The carrier comprises a resilient wire bent into hair-pin form, forming legs terminating in extremities bent laterally away from one another through substantially a right angle to form oppositely extending feet. The legs are bent together with the grip of the hand to withdraw the feet sufficiently to enter the aperture in the top of an end wall, and then released, so that the feet project into positions underlying portions of the top wall at opposite ends of the entrance aperture. The extremities of the wire portions forming the feet are bent at right angles to the plane defined by the two legs of the wire carrier, and are of a length to gouge into the confronting end panel. The feet from which these extremities, barbs, or prongs project are backed up by the opposite end panel. The carrier is thus securely engaged with the end wall structure, will stay in that position while coupling to a second container, and can be used to carry the container, either with or without a second container stacked thereon.

United States Patent 1 Crane 1 Aug. 7, 1973 HANDLE FOR PRODUCE CONTAINERWalton B. Crane, Sherman Oaks, Calif.

[73] Assignee: Allied Plastics Company, Sherman Oaks, Calif.

[22] Filed: Jan. 14, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 106,434

[75] Inventor:

Primary ExaminerRichard A. Schacher Attorney-Forrest J. Lilly [57]ABSTRACT A carrier handle for the container of the type shown in U. S.Pat. Re. No. 26,386, and which comprise opposite end walls, each ofwhich has two spaced panels connected by a narrow top wall, a centrallylocated aper ture in each top wall, and a centrally located aperture inthe bottom, in vertical alignment with the aperture in the top wall. Thecarrier comprises a resilient wire bent into hair-pin form, forming legsterminating in extremities bent laterally away from one another throughsubstantially a right angle to form oppositely extending feet. The legsare bent together with the grip of the hand to withdraw the feetsufficiently to enter the aperture in the top of an end wall, and thenreleased, so that the feet project into positions underlying portions ofthe top wall at opposite ends of the entrance aperture. The extremitiesof the wire portions forming the feet are bent at right angles to theplane defined by the two legs of the wire carrier, and are of a lengthto gouge into the confronting end panel: The feet from which theseextremities, barbs, or prongs project are backed up by the opposite endpanel. The carrier is thus securely engaged with the end wall structure,will stay in that position while coupling to a second container, and canbe used to carry the container, either with orwithout a secondcontainerstackedthereon.

3 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures 7 PAIENTEHA 3.750.936

sum 1 0F 2 E/g.Z.

' INVENTOR.

[Mara/v E CRANE HANDLE FOR PRODUCE CONTAINER FIELD OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates generally to couplers for interlocking and couplingone container on another for stacking as well as transportation.

The containers in contemplations may be of a type generally shown in myprior U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,971,232 and 2,987,198, and a specific example ofsuch a container is fully disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. Re. No.26,386.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION My U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,971,232 and 2,987,198disclose a wire carrier handle, or coupler," and shows how a wirecoupler may be made to reach vertically downward into and throughvertically aligned upper and lower slots in opposite end wall structuresof corrugated paperboard produce containers, and to project under thebottom wall of the container for support of the latter. Each end wall ofsuch a container comprises a pair of spaced plies connected by a narrowtop wall at the top; and a third ply between these first two plies, andfixed to the interior surface .of the outermost thereof. This third plyis turned at right angles to become the container bottom. The slotsreferred to hereinabove comprise an upper slot formed centrally in thenarrow wall at the top, and an additional or lower slot, verticallyaligned with the upper slot, formed in the end extremity of the bottomwall, in the bottom of what is essentially the end wall structure of thecontainer. The couplers thus reach downward through the upper and lowerapertures, and have feet which turn outward under the bottom wall, atthe end extremity thereof, for support of the container and contents.The handles project upwardly from the upper slots in the ends of thebottom container, and an additional container may then be stacked on thefirst by simply lowering it onto the first, with the handles or couplersguided so as to penetrate the lower and then the upper end wall slots inthe second container. The handles are long enough to reach above thesecond container, and the pair of containers can be carried by thesehandles, which thus directly support the bottom of the lower container,and laterally position the second container, with the weight of thesecond container borne by the first, through the vertical extent of theend walls of the latter. When the containers are fully loaded, as withboxes and berries, these end walls of the bottom container, and the sidewalls as well, may verge on buckling vertically.

A purpose of the invention is to provide an improved coupler of thisgeneral class, easily operable, simple, and one which obtains anespecially sure grip or bite on the container to which it is attaches,particularly one which attached to the upper part of the lower containerof a pair which are to be stacked.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a handle orcoupler made up of a strong resilient wire, bent hair-pin fashion toprovide two legs, whose lower or free ends are bent oppositely outwardsfrom one another to form two feet. The outwardly bent, foot portions ofthe legs are so formed that the two extremities of the wires terminateat the outward extremities or toes of these feet in prongs which projectlaterally from the plane of the handle wires. To install the handle, thelegs are squeezed together until the feet will enter the notch in thetop of the end wall structure of the container, the handles being heldso that the plane of its wires is near to a right angle with the endwall of the container. The feet having entered the notch, the: legs areallowed to spring apart, so that the feet project in opposite directionsbeyond opposite ends of the notch. The handle is then moved into avertical plane, i.e., the plane of the end wall, and the feet then turnunder portions of the narrow top of the end wall structure, beyondopposite ends of the notch, while the prongs are turned into a gougingengagement with the inside surface of the outer side panel of the endwall. The handles are then both properly positioned, and held in properposition with adequate steadiness.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an endportion of a container of the type for which the handle of the presentinvention is intended;

FIG. 2 is a section taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of two containers coupled by a handle inaccordance with the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the handleof the invention;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view ofa portion of one leg of the associatedfoot of the handle of FIG. 4, looking in the direction of the arrow 5 ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of an end portion of the container with thecarrier held in position to enter the latter;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing a subsequent portion; 1

FIG. 8is a section on line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a portion similar to FIGS. 6 and 7 but showing the similarportion of the interengagement of the handle with the container;

FIG. 10 is a section taken on line 10-10 of FIGS; and 1 FIG. 11 is aview showing to larger scale a fragmentary portion of the end wallstretcher of the container, looking in the direction of the arrow 11 inFIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF AN ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION The drawingsshow the parts pertinent to the present invention of a container of thekind shown in my Reissue U.S. Pat. No. 26,386. The walls of thiscontainer are to be understood as preferably composed of knownreinforced corrugated paperboard stock, or equivalent. This container 10has two-ply side walls 11, a single-ply bottom wall 12, andmultiple-ply. end wall structures 13. In the container here illustrated,the end wall structure includes two vertical outside and inside panels16 and 17, spaced from and integrally connected to one another by anarrow top wall 18. At the end of the bottom wall is an integral,turned-up end wall panel 19 which liesadjacent the inner surface of andis adhesively joined to the outside panel 116 of the end wall structure.The upper edge of the panel 19 terminates at a spacing distance belowthe top panel 18 for a reason that will become evident A slot 20 isformed at the center of the narrow top end panel 18. This slot is madewhile the paperboard is still flat in blank form by a three-sided,generally U-shaped cut, in a manner so as, when the paperboard blank iserected, to produce a tab 24 projecting up from the center of the panel17, leaving the slot cut through the top panel 18 on converging diagonalcuts producing diagonal slot ends 25. These latter are joined by a cutforming an edge 27 with angular or rounded ends dipping somewhat belowthe upper edge of the outer end panel 16. Formed in bottom wall 12, invertical alignment with slot 20, is a bottom slot 29.

The outside and inside plies of the side walls have flaps 31 and 32,respectively, at the ends thereof which are turned inwardly, andincorporated in the end wall structure between the panels 16 and 19.These flaps, however, terminate short of the slots 20 and 29. All thisstructure is shown and described in complete detail in theaforementioned US. Pat. No. Re. 26,386.

Thus, with this construction there is a vertical flat, space or shaft 35between the end panel 16 and the end panels 16 and 19, open at the topvia slot 20, and at the bottom via slot 29.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the handle is designated generally by thenumeral 40, and comprises generally a resilient wire 42, preferablygalvanized iron, tempered somewhat hard, preferably to 95,000 psi, bentinto a U or generally hair-pin shape, and forming two legs 44. The lowerend portions or extremities of these legs are bent laterally outwardly,or away from one another, substantially in the common plane of the legs,and substantially through a right angle, so as to provide out-turnedfeet generally indicated at 45. The wire portions forming these feet arecontained substantially within or near a plane at right angles to thecommon plane of the legs and in such a manner as to afford the feet withwidth dimensions comparable to that of the flat space 35 within the endwall structures of the containers, and with length dimensions preferablyin the proportions as shown. These feet may be shaped in various ways,one specific and presently preferred form of which is shown in thepresent drawings. A preferred feature of the invention is that theportions of-the wire forming each foot occupy a single plane (thusavoiding complications in manufacture), and a very important feature ofthe invention is that the extremity of the wire forming the outerextremity or toe portion of the foot includes a prong 46 extendinglaterally from the foot. The foot has a portion which is of a lateralwidth such as to just fit nicely (when positioned in a horizontal plane)in the interior space 35 between the panel 16 and the panel 17 (FIG. 9).The prongs 46, however, project laterally from the foot beyond thislimit, and are cut diagonally, as shown, to provide points 47 which cangouge into the paperboard panels.

It may be noted (FIGS. 3 and 10) that the panel 19 terminates below theregion occupied by the feet 45.

In the present illustrative embodiment, each leg 44 is bent angularlyinwardly at its lower end, in the common plane of the two legs, at anangle of approximately 30, so as to form an angular segment 48, and isthen bent outwardly, in said plane, to form a short horizontal segment49 ending at a point substantially aligned with the corresponding leg.This segment 49 is the beginning part of the foot 45, and in theposition of FIG. 9, lies against the panel 17. It may be noted at thistime that the various bends in the wire are made with a suitable radiusaccording to good wire forming practice. The segment 49 merges with thefirst of a pair of reverse loops 50 and 51 whose crests or peaks aretangent to parallel lines spaced by the distance across the space 35between the walls 16 and 17, as clearly seen in FIG. 9.

The second or reversed loop 51 merges into the aforementioned prong 46.The two loops 50 and 51 might be well described as being in thepreferred form of one wave length of a sinusoidal curve.

FIG. 4 shows the handle in its normal form, and other figures show itresiliently deformed, within its elastic limit, to engage and supportthe container. Reference is directed to FIG. 6, wherein the two legs ofthe handle have been squeezed together until the angular formationsformed by the segments 48 and 49 cross one another, and with the planeof the legs 44 substantially at right angle to the end walls of thecontainer. The handle is positioned with the barbs or prongs 46 down.The feet 45 can then be inserted into the aperture 20 (see FIG. b, 7,and 8). Thus, in FIG. 6, with the legs 44 squeezed together, the feet 45are in position to be inserted into the aperture 20 between its endedges 25. In FIG. 3, 7, and 8, the portions 49 of the legs have beenallowed to spread apart, or have been spread apart, until the angularportions 48 of the legs cross the slot edges 25, near the edge 27 of thepanel 16, and the portions 49 have been worked over toward or againstthe inside surface of panel 17. The handle is then rocked toward avertical position (see the arrow a in FIG. 8) until it reaches theposition of FIGS. 9 and 10. In the course of this action, the portions48 of the legs slide along the diagonal slot edges 25, thereby beingsupported against downward displacement; and during this action the legscan be spread slightly further apart, as to the position of FIG. 9. Ifthe handle is not initially entirely to the position of FIG. 7 beforebeing swung upwards, it will still wind up in the position of FIG. 9, ifthe legs are spread apart fully as they are swung upward. In this upwardswinging action the prongs 46 turn toward and finally engage the insidesurface of the panel 16, which it penetrates; and with the point ofpenetration as a fulcrum, the legs swing, and lower somewhat, to finallyreach the position shown best in FIG. 10. The feet 45 will then bespaced somewhat below the wall 18. If the legs have not been fullyspread to the position of FIG. 9, the prongs 46 will still engage thepanel 16, and thus achieve carrying securement to the container. Theprongs 16 may finally tear or deform the panel 16 above the point ofindentation, whereupon the foot 45 will merely elevate relative to thecounter wall 18 until it engages the underside thereof, and thensupports the container in that manner.

Once the carrier is in position (FIGS. 9 and 10), a second container canbe loaded onto the first, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, by threading thewires of the handle already in position on the first container throughthe apertures 29 and 20 and the intervening space 35 of the secondcontainer so that the stacked containers can be carried by the portionsof the handle projecting above the top container. The weight of the topcontainer and contents thus is not imposed on the lowercontainer throughits side and end walls during carrying, one container above the other.Note may be taken of the fact that when one container is stacked onanother, the tab 24 of the lower is receivable into the slot 29 in theupper.

A feature of the invention is that when the diagonally sharpened prongshave penetrated into the panel 16, the handle will be supported in anupright position, for convenient stacking of a second container on thefirst, rather than tending to rock over.

It will, of course, be understood that the drawings and description areof one illustrative embodiment only, and that various changes may bemade without departing from the invention or the scope of the appendedclaims.

I claim:

1. A handle for engagement between paperboard end panels of a containerend structure spaced by a predetermined distance, said panels beingjoined by a top wall formed with an entrance aperture for parts of saidhandle, said handle made of a resilient single wire, formed in themiddle with a bight to provide two legs in a common plane, the wirebeing formed at the ends of said legs into feet which are turnedoutwardly, away from one another, substantially at right angles to thelegs, said feet being in a plane substantially perpendicular to saidcommon plane, and having widths corresponding to said predeterminedspacing distance, said feet terminating at the extremities thereofremote from said legs in toe portions in the form of sharpened prongsprojecting laterally a short distance beyond corresponding side edges ofboth of said feet, so as to penetrate at least slightly into the opposedend panel.

2. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein the wire portions forming saidfeet are substantially sinuous in form in the planes of said feet, eachterminating at the toe end of the foot in said laterally projectingprong.

3. The combination of a paperboard container structure and a bent,resilient, single wire carrier handle comprising:

a paperboard container end structure having vertical end panels spacedby a predetermined distance,

and a top walljoining the upper ends of said panels, and formed with acentrally located substantially trapezoidal entrance aperture in saidtop wall bounded by diagonal, convergent end edges, and

carrier handle comprising a resilient single wire formed in the middlewith a bight to provide two legs in a common plane, the wire beingformed at the ends of said legs into feet which are turned outwardly,away from one another, substantially at right angles to the legs, saidfeet being in a plane substantially perpendicular to said common plane,and having widths corresponding to said spacing distance between saidvertical end panels, said feet terminating at the extremities "thereofremote from said legs in toe portions in the form of sharpened prongsprojecting laterally a slight distance beyond the side edges of saidfeet, so as to penetrate shortly into the opposed end panel, the legs ofsaid handle having, within their common plane, and forming junctureswith said feet, wire portions which are angularly convergent downwardly,toward one another, within their saidcommon plane, to join said legswith said feet, said last-mentioned wire portions being engageable withand supported and guided by said diagonaLconvergent end edges of saidentrance aperture upon swinging of said legs from said horizontal towarda vertical position, until said legs reach the vertical position andsaid prongs have penetrated into the paperboard panel opposed thereto.

1. A handle for engagement between paperboard end panels of a container end structure spaced by a predetermined distance, said panels being joinEd by a top wall formed with an entrance aperture for parts of said handle, said handle made of a resilient single wire, formed in the middle with a bight to provide two legs in a common plane, the wire being formed at the ends of said legs into feet which are turned outwardly, away from one another, substantially at right angles to the legs, said feet being in a plane substantially perpendicular to said common plane, and having widths corresponding to said predetermined spacing distance, said feet terminating at the extremities thereof remote from said legs in toe portions in the form of sharpened prongs projecting laterally a short distance beyond corresponding side edges of both of said feet, so as to penetrate at least slightly into the opposed end panel.
 2. The subject matter of claim 1, wherein the wire portions forming said feet are substantially sinuous in form in the planes of said feet, each terminating at the toe end of the foot in said laterally projecting prong.
 3. The combination of a paperboard container structure and a bent, resilient, single wire carrier handle comprising: a paperboard container end structure having vertical end panels spaced by a predetermined distance, and a top wall joining the upper ends of said panels, and formed with a centrally located substantially trapezoidal entrance aperture in said top wall bounded by diagonal, convergent end edges, and a carrier handle comprising a resilient single wire formed in the middle with a bight to provide two legs in a common plane, the wire being formed at the ends of said legs into feet which are turned outwardly, away from one another, substantially at right angles to the legs, said feet being in a plane substantially perpendicular to said common plane, and having widths corresponding to said spacing distance between said vertical end panels, said feet terminating at the extremities thereof remote from said legs in toe portions in the form of sharpened prongs projecting laterally a slight distance beyond the side edges of said feet, so as to penetrate shortly into the opposed end panel, the legs of said handle having, within their common plane, and forming junctures with said feet, wire portions which are angularly convergent downwardly, toward one another, within their said common plane, to join said legs with said feet, said last-mentioned wire portions being engageable with and supported and guided by said diagonal, convergent end edges of said entrance aperture upon swinging of said legs from said horizontal toward a vertical position, until said legs reach the vertical position and said prongs have penetrated into the paperboard panel opposed thereto. 